American Nurses Association endorses position statement on substance use among nurses and nursing students

he American Nurses Association (ANA) has endorsed a joint position statement from the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) and the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA) that encourages a focus on prevention, treatment and recovery for nurses and nursing students with substance use and related disorders, as opposed to punishment.

ANA represents the interests of more than 3.6 million registered nurses in the United States. Its endorsement signals significant potential for changes in national policy and practice in the treatment of nurses with substance use disorders.

IHPI member Stephen Strobbe, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, CARN-AP, FIAAN, president of IntNSA, authored the position statement with ENA’s Melanie Crowley, MSN, RN, CEN.

“Patient safety is of paramount importance,” said Strobbe. “One of the best ways to achieve this is through effective prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery, and professional monitoring programs for nurses and nursing students with substance use disorders." 

He added, “Nurses and nursing students are not expendable commodities, and they deserve an opportunity to benefit from these highly successful, evidence-based treatments.”

Nurses are consistently rated by the public as the most trusted profession in the United States, yet they experience substance use disorders at rates similar to the general public. If left untreated, these disorders can lead to serious consequences and place patients, colleagues, and nurses themselves at risk for injury, illness and death.